Converter attachment for drive wheels



Jan. 12 1926. l 1,569,099

- R. R. MILLER I CONVERTER ATTACHMENT FOR DRIVE WHEELS Filed June 17;."1922 3*,'Sheets-Sheet .2

Jan. 12 ,1926. 1,569,099' R. R. MILLER. v

CONVERTER ATTACHMENT FOR DRIVBQ'HIBLS med June 17,'1922 s mats-snm aPatented Jan. 12, 1926.

illllTiD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROYAL R. MLLER, OF CHICAGO, LLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MILLER TRAC'ION TIR/EADCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

CONVERTER ATTACHMENT FOR DRIVE WHEELS.

Application filed .Tune 17, 1922r fo aZ whom may concern.

Be it known that I, ROYAL B. lrli'rlmni, a citizen o' the United States,and a resident of the city oi2 Chicago, in the county ont Cook and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in aConverter Attachment ior Drive lVheels; and l do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals olireference marked thereon, which form a part of this specitication.

This invention relates to a converterattachment for drive wheels andparticularly to a mechanism which is adapted to be used to converttractor drive wheels into tracklaying tread drive Wheels, the presentinvention disclosing improvements in the structure shown in myco-pending application for U. S. Letters Patent, Serial No. 472,837.

It is an object of this invention to provide a track-laying treadattachment for drive wheels wherein the tread elements are supported anddriven from each side of the drive wheel and whereby an ordinary tractordrive wheel may be converted to a track-laying tread drive wheel Withoutremoving the traction cleat therefrom.

It is another object of this invention to provide a track-la ying treadattachment for drive wheels having cushioning means bctween the treadelements andthe driving means therefor. v

lt is also an object of this invention to provide a converter attachmentof the class described which may be mounted on drive wheels oit varioustypes.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a trackdaying treadmechanism which will operate with a minimum of noise.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a track-layingtread mechanism having improved means for connecting the tread elements.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means for lockingadjacent tread elements from relative movement when in ground engagingposition.

It is linally an important object of this invention to provide an easilyattachable eliicient track-laying tread mechanism.

Other and further important objects ot this invention Will be apparentfrom the dis- Serial No. 568,992.

closures in the specii'ication and the accompanying drawings.

rlhe invention (in a preferred form) is shown on the drawings andhereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

lFigure l is a side elevation ot a tractor drive Wheel equipped with theimproved track-laying tread mechanism of this invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of one of the driving annuli.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of one of the tread elements.

Figure et is a fragmentary plan view oit the inside ot one of the treadelements.

Figure 5 is an enlarged section through one of the tread elements anddriving means therefor With parts in elevation. i

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail section showing the relation betweencertain of the driving and connecting means.

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail section showing the method of attachingthe driving and supporting' annulus. Y

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail section ot' a part of the driving andsupporting annulus.

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary ele vation oit' the tread elementlocking means.

As shown on the drawings:

The track-laying tread mechanism of this invention is adapted to be usedto convert an ordinary tractor drive Wheel into a tracklaying tread typedrive wheel Without anyl 'alteration thereof, and in the accompanyingdrawings, the hub ot said drive wheel is represented by the referencenumeral l. Extending outwardly from said hub l are a plurality of spokes2 which are secured to inwardly extending flanges 3 on the wheel rim 4:by means of rivets 5. Usual traction cleats la are ordinarily secured tosaid rim l. Engaged on each side ot the wheel outside the flanges 3 is adriving and supporting annulus G and said annuli 6 are provided atintervals with depressions 7 which are engaged over the heads of therivets 5, thus acting to properly position the annuli. Said annuli 6 aredrawn snugly against the flanges 3 and held in proper position by meansof long bolts 8 which extend through apertures 9 'formed in inwardlyextending b on said annuli, the sides of said bolts 8 abutting againstthe edges oi the spokes 2 (Figures '.7 and 8). In view of the fact thatordinary tractor drire wheels are made with various numbers of spokes, alargenumber of the apertures 9 are provided, these aper- 5 tures beingproperly positioned to receive connecting bolts 8 which are especiallyadapted to be used for connecting the annuli G in a number of standardtractor drive wheel co1isi rictioiis. As shown in Figures 10 2 and S,cach annulus 6 is constructed of a number of sections which are securedtogether by the engagement of bolts 10 which extend 'through apertures11 formed in bose-,es 12 v Yrich overl p similar bosses on au tctionwhich are provided. with y Su'd bosses 12 are L r-crubly provided withapertures through which the connecting bolts 8 Amay be engaged. Eachannulus (S is provided with an integral outwardly extending coaxialflange 13 which is adapted to support the tread elements in a manner tobe der"l hereinafter, and extending out- Yard at spaced intervals fromeach of said flanges 12% is a roller 1-'lwhich is mounted on the end ofa pin 15 extending through an apertured boss 13 integral with saidflange. Said rollers 1li are adapted to drive, and the iianges 13tovsupport, the track-laying tread elements which will now de described.lllach of said tread elements comprises a ribbed ground engaging plate16 having an extension 1G at the center of one end. Said plate providedwith apertures 17 for att ching extension ground plates and is alsoprovided with integral side portions 18 which extend inwardly therefromin a vertical plane. Said side portions 18 are cut away at 19 to reducethe weight of the tread elements and to prevent objectionable noise dueto resonance, and integrally formed on the inner edges of said sideportions are horiz ntal l'langes 24() which' are adapted to ge thellanges 123 on the annuli G. As red in Figures l, Si and El, the ends ofportions are formed inwardly so that the tread elements as a wholesomewhat resemble trie frustrum of a pyramid. i o integral with the sideportions 18 and ined outside the nanges 2O on each tread element aresemi-circular tooth members 21 which are adapted to have the rollers 14-gd therebetween so that the annuli .y transmit a driving action to thetread elements. '.ihe flanges 2i) are cut away between said toot-hmembers 2l and are also thereof to permit the l therebetween, and mentof the ietween said 22 are 1 ,1' neural spin tooth nr rs,

mounted between the tooth uiemoers in reses 2" formed in i. sideportions 18.

Ato add L" t the construction are preferably reinforced by integral ribs2f; which extend downwardly on the outside thereof from bosses 25 inwhiclrthe recesses are formed.

Improved means are provided for connecting the tread elements with alost motion connection whereby the proper driving relation between thesame and the supporting and driving annuli 6 is maintained. For thispurpose, outwardly extending members 26 are integrally formed on one endofeach side portion 1S and each of said members 2G acts to support anapertured bifurcat'ed lug 27 which is adapted to be engaged over alugQS, formed on the abutting ends of the side portions of an adjacenttread member. Each of said lugs 28 is .provided with a slot comprisingportions 29 and 30, the center lines of which form an obtuse angle, andengaged through said slot and through the apertures in the bifurcatenlug 27 is a connecting pin 31 which is secured therein by means of aCotter pin 152, the head of said Cotter pin being engaged between bossesformed on the outsides of the lugs 27 wherey said pins 31 are preventedfrom rotating. To reduce friction between. the pin 31 and the slot29-30, a roller 31 is mounted on said pin and engages the edges of saidslot.

As will be noted from an examinationof Figure G, the lugs 27 and 2S aresufliciently offset from the side portions 18 ofthe tread elements topermit the heads of the pins or shafts 15 to easily pass the heads ofthepins 31.

Formed on the side ofthe tread elements at one end thereof as a.continuation ofthe outer arm of the bifurcated lug 27 are lugs 35 (bestshown in Figure 9) which .are adapted to be engaged under bosses 36formed on and extending outwardly from an adjacent tread member whensaid. tread members are in ground engagingv position. This lockingeffect is made possible by the fact that the pin 31 in the portion 530of the connecting slot and undue strainon the pivotal connections isprevented by the extensions 16a on the tread elements.

Formed as a continuation of the tooth members 21 are depressions 37which are adapted to receive the rollers 141-. to aid .in the lockingaction and extending upwardly and outwardly from said depressions in aplane parallel to the plane of the lugs 27 are curved members 38 whichare adapted to engage curved surfaces 3) formed on an adjacent treadmember.

The operation is as follows:

ln order to convert a tractor drive wheel into a track-laying treaddrive wheel by the employment of the converter mechanism of thisinvention, it is first necessary to secure the annuli in position oneach side of the wheel by means ofthe bolts 8, and in view llo oi thefact that said annuli are separable, it is possible to do this withoutremoving the drive wheel from the tractor. In securing the annuli (3 onthe wheel, the depressions 7 therein are engaged over the heads oi therivets 5 and the bolts 8 are engaged through oppositely positionedapertures 9 in accordance with the number and position ot the spokes 2in the drive wheel. The tread elements are then engaged over the wheeland are connected by the pins 3l and the wheel is ready 'for operation.@n ac-A count ot the side members 153, it is possible to' use the treadelements on a drive wheel without previously removing thi` ordinarvtraction cleats l and because oil this c( struction, the wheel may be`very quickly converted.

When the tread elements are in position, the rotation ot the drivewheel, et course, causes the same to be s uu'cessively deposited on thesurface over which the vehicle is traveling, and since these treadelements afford a large area i''or contacting said surface, the tractiveefiiciency oit a drive wheel equipped therewith is very high. rlhepeculiar formation of the slots 29, 30 allows suliicient relativemovement between the tread elements to maintain the same in true rollingrelation with the flanges 13 and at the same time to a llord a properdrive thereof by the rollers i4. As will be noted from an examination otFigure l, the pins 3l are engaged in the portions 30 of said slot duringthe time that the tread elements are in contact with the ground and thatthe same become disengaged from said portions 30 and move into theportions 29, thus allowing a relative movement of the tread elements, asthe same are lifted from the ground, the pins 3l being at the same timeheld from rotation by the engagement of the head.' of the cotter pin 32between the bosses The engagement oit the tread elements with therollers M is at all times cushioned by the spring 22, the life of saidrollers and of the entire mechanism being greatly lengt-honed by theresilient cushioning effect of said spring. The engagement oi thelocking lugs 35'under the bosses 3G serves to maintain adjacent treadelements in proper ground engaging position as clearly shown in FiguresAl and 9. On account of the open construction ot the tread elements, themechanism operates with a minimum ot noise since there are no largeresonating surfaces. It will thus be seen that the tracle laying treadmechanism of this invention may be easily attached to convert a standarddrive wheel into a track-laying tread drive wheel, and it will also beevident that the mechanism is strong, durable, and that the same may beeconomically constructed.

am aware that numerous detail oi construction may be varied through awide range without departing from the principles of this invention, andtheretore do not pur pose limiting the patent granted, otherwise thannecessitated by the prior art.

l claim as my invention:

l. llhe combination with a drive wheel, ol' an annulus on each sidethereof, rollers projecting outwardly from each annulus, means extendingtransversely of the drive Wheel for securing said annuli together, andconnected tread members supported on the annuli and driven by engagementwith. the rollers. Y

2. The combination `with a. drive wheel and the spokes thereof, oit adriving and supporting anmilus on each site of the wheel, meansextending transverr. ly oi' the wheel and abutting the spokes ioreonncifting said annuli, and connected 'tread niembcrs supported on anddriven by said annuli.

El. The combination with a drive wheel, of an annulus mounted on eachside thereof, means extending transversely of the drive wheel andconnecting the annuli, a coaxial annular shoulder formed on eachannulus, tread elements engaged over the annuli and adapted to roll onsaid shoulder and having depressions formed therein, and meansprojecting laterally from the annulus and engaging in said depressionsto transmit a drive to the tread elements.

d. The combination with a drive wheel, of an annulus mounted on eachside thereof, means extending transversely of the drive wheel andconnecting the annuli, a coaxial annular shoulder formed on eachannulus, tread elements engaged over the annulus and adapted to roll onsaid shoulder and having depressions formed therein, resilient means inthe depressions, and means projecting laterally from said annuli andengaged in said depressions to transmit a drive to the tread elements.

5. The combination with a drive Wheel, of an annulus mounted on eachside thereof, means extending transversely of the drive wheel andconnecting the annuli, a coaxial annular shoulder formed on eachaninilus, tread elements engaged over the annali and adapted to roll onsaid shoulder and having depressions formed therein, helical springprojecting from the bottom of each depression, and means projecting fromthe annuli and engaged in said depression to transmit a drive to thetread elements.

G. In a traclrelaying tread mechanism, driving means, connected treadelements engaging said driving means, and cushioning means between thetread elements and the driving means at the point ot connectionl betweenthe said tread elements.

7. In a track laying tread mechanism, a plurality of tread elements,connecting means on said tread elemen slots in said connecting meanseach consis ng oi portions making an obtuse angle With each other,

and means on adjacent tread elements engaged through said slots.

8. In a track-laying tread mechanism, a plurality of tread elements,connecting means on said tread elements, slots in said connecting meanseach consisting oi' portions making an angle With each other, and pinsremovably engaged through an adjacent tread element and through saidslots.

9. In a track-laying tread mechanism, a plurality of tread elements,connecting means on said tread elements, slot-s in said connecting meanseach consisting of portions making an angle with cach other, pinsremovably engaged through an adjacent tread element and through one ofsaid slot-sj` and means for preventing the pins from rotating.

l0. In a track-laying tread mechanism7 a plurality of tread elements,connect-ing means on said tread elements, slots in said `connectingmeanseachrconsisting of portions making an angle With each other7 pinsremovably engaged through an adjacent tread element and through saidslots, and rollers on said pins engaging the edges of the slots.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ROYAL R. MILLER.

